


What If Erik Found Jean First

by zehroh



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-26
Updated: 2012-10-26
Packaged: 2017-11-17 01:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/546262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zehroh/pseuds/zehroh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The title is self explanatory. It's a series of ficlets featuring a what-if scenario. What if Jean was part of the Brotherhood instead. Set in the XMFC verse, hence the appearance of Raven and Emma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

Erik had originally planned to get her while she was still in her coma but Charles's interference had delayed the whole proceedings. Now he had to grab her from her home instead, before Charles came to get her.

You would think it would be easy to kidnap an 11-year-old girl. You think wrong. Erik brought Emma Frost and Azazel along and still the little girl had them running around in circles chasing illusions. He had the helmet (which he wasn't wearing just yet). Grabbing her wasn't the problem. _Finding_ her on the other hand...

Emma was getting irritated. Azazel seemed impressed. Erik was very amused. But it's time to put it all to an end.

' _Jean._ '

The voice in his head was a fiercely determined but scared one. ' _You're going to take me away._ '

' _Yes._ '

' _Why?_ '

' _See for yourself._ '

A pause. And Erik felt the child's mind racing around his curiously; peering, searching. Erik had no desire to hide his thoughts from her. Emma, however, suddenly glanced at him. She found her.

' _..._ ' The girl was obviously intrigued now.

' _Come with me._ '

' _But mom and dad..._ '

' _Don't know what to do with mutants like us._ '

Amazement, delight. ' _You're like me. You all are._ '

Erik nodded at Emma and Azazel. And suddenly they were standing in a shed outside the house. A little girl was standing before them, hiding her nerves behind a smile as she shyly said, "hello."

Erik said nothing, just held out a hand to her.

She took it.


	2. Tantrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean throws a tantrum. Set a couple years after The Beginning.

That morning, Erik knew to put on his helmet first. He prepared a sandwich as Raven walked into the kitchen and gave him an odd look. Not that he could blame her, he wasn't in his full uniform.

Before she could ask, however, a sharp pain jolted through her head and she dropped.

Erik just continued to prepare a sandwich as a little girl's angry scream pierced through the house.

It was five minutes before he made his way to Jean Grey's room. By then, Emma was already there, wrestling with and having a shouting match with the 12-year-old girl. The telepathic screech was obviously still in effect with how Emma was wincing slightly. Or it could just be from the fresh bite mark on her arm. He watched them for a moment longer - a plate of sandwich and a glass of milk in his hand.

"Jean."

Both of them froze.

"Emma, leave," he gave her a steely look to cut off any arguments. Not that it kept Emma from sharing her thoughts with the room as she stalked out. Jean just stuck her tongue out while levitating a sticky note onto Emma's retreating back. It said 'kick me'. And Erik had to keep from acknowledging the growing soft spot he had for his little girl. He closed the door without touching it and sat down on the bed.

"I won't stop until you say yes," she seemed especially irritated that she couldn't influence Erik.

He didn't answer, just set the sandwich and milk down on the bedside table.

"I want to see mom and dad," she continued.

Again, he said nothing.

"I miss them! I mean, I like it here. But--"

"When did I say no?"

"--what?" Then her face lit up. "You mean..."

"We'll tell them the school saved you from the kidnappers." 

She grinned. Charles wasn't going to like that. But she liked it when they got to annoy the Professor. With a start, Jean realized Erik was removing his helmet. She quickly stopped her transmission just as he spoke.

"We leave tomorrow at noon. Your training today starts in an hour." He stood. "Don't be late."

There weren't enough words to express the joy she was experiencing. "I love you, Erik."

Erik, already half-way to the door, just smiled at her and left. Jean hopped off the bed and picked up the sandwich. She could hear Raven making her way to have Words with her but she couldn't care less. She knew Erik loved her too. After all, she was his favorite.


	3. Crushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean develops a crush. She's around 14 in this ficlet.

Jean stayed in the corner and ignored all attempts from people to talk to her. Most of them here were much older than she was and they all chose Charles Xavier. That was enough reason for her to dislike them. She sulked. She hated that Erik had to leave her here for a few weeks. He even knocked her out and dropped her at Charles's front door, literally.

She would be lying if the friendliness in this place didn't get to her though. And she couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like if she hadn't taken Erik's hand those many years ago. She would also be lying if she said she hated everyone. There was one boy in particular who interested her. He wasn't friendly or social like the others. In fact, he was downright quiet and kinda grumpy.

So, naturally, her first course of action was to drag him along to explore the mansion with her, nevermind that he had a blindfold on. Jean always got her way, well, almost always. She got lectured by the Professor almost immediately after. Scott (she learned that was the boy's name) must have tattled on her when he panicked. She stayed away from him for a few days later but it was boring to be on her own. Soon, she found herself tracking Scott around the house. He was intriguing - fearful but determined and acted more mature, despite the fact that he was younger than her. He was also really closed off and boring. If there was one thing Jean can't stand, it was boring.

It wasn't long before she decided to bother him again. And she was pleased that he put up with her. She taught him to play tag and recited mangled nursery rhymes and taught him riddles. He taught her the name of the flowers in the garden and how he read braille. By the end of her stay there, she almost didn't want to leave. She didn't have any playmates her age in the Brotherhood. And Scott was... Scott wasn't afraid of her. He treated her just like a normal girl and she liked that. She _missed_ that.

When Erik came to pick her up again, she did one thing no one, not even herself, expected her to do. She kissed Scott on the cheek before running back into the car.

Needless to say, Erik didn't have trouble dropping her off at the mansion after that.


	4. Erik's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Erik's Birthday!
> 
> Jean's a teenager by now.

It all started when two mutants made their way into the mansion and one of them announced, "We're here to kidnap Charles Xavier."

The ensuing explosion surprised no one.

 

"What is _wrong_ with you? I told you not to say that." Raven growled as she picked herself up from the ground. The section of wall behind them all but gone.

" _I'm_ not the one overreacting," Jean answered in a huff, still glaring at the teenager who was regarding them with a lot of suspicion and who still had his hand on his visor, ready to attack again. "Oh, for crying out loud. Ease up, Scott."

He didn't.

"Charles! Call off your guard dog," it was Raven's turn to be annoyed. This was supposed to be a simple trip.

A moment later, Scott frowned and reluctantly lowered his hand.

" _Finally._. Now where's Charles?" Jean asked gleefully.

Scott just crossed his arms. "You're not kidnapping him."

"Oh, relax. This is all consensual." Jean crossed the rubble to give him a peck on the cheek. "We're borrowing him."

He struggled to maintain his composure despite the blush spreading across his face and asnwered grumpily, "Next time, say that first."

"What's the fun in that?" 

Raven just rolled her eyes.

 

They brought Charles (and Scott) back to their home in a plastic wheelchair Raven somehow acquired a while back. 'So Erik wouldn't figure it out too soon' was her explanation. Jean had to admit, for all that they disliked each other, they made a good team. The preparations were almost ready. They had Charles set up in Erik's room. (He refused to let them tie a bow around his head, so Jean made Scott wear it on his hand while cheekily claiming him to be her present instead.) And everyone was in position when Erik's car pulled up outside - that is, hidden. (Jean held on to Scott when Erik walked in, just in case he decided to attack Erik too.)

They awaited with bated breath as Erik entered his room.

... then there was only silence.

"Did it work?" Raven whispered.

Jean frowned. "Well, he's surpris-- uh."

"What?"

Jean pouted. "He wants us out of the house."

"Well, that's no fun."

"And we don't even get a thank you."

Scott looked confused. And worried. Jean patted his arm and assured him they'll be fine. Though she really couldn't blame him for being reluctant to leave. Charles was, after all, in Erik's bed with his arms wrapped in ribbons, ending in a neat bow around his wrists. The message couldn't be clearer.

While Jean was annoyed at Erik's lack of gratitude, the surge of amusement, joy, and arousal she sensed from their room was just enough to make up for it. It was Erik's birthday. She'll let him get away without a thank you. For now.


	5. Working Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean and Mystique cooperating for a mission. Jean's an adult by now.

She casually strolled through the security of the Department of Defense. It was simple enough to convince them that the picture on the stolen ID was her. The human mind was so easy to fool. She cast a glance at her companion: Mystique had a different modus operandi; she preferred the riskier but elegant style of switching between different identities on her own. Jean knew the other woman disliked it when Jean tried to cover for her using telepathy, so for the most part they functioned as individuals despite having the same goal.

The goal, incidentally, being to install some new programs into the brand new defense system. They didn't reveal it publicly but the system was capable of being used to track and target 'high-risk mutants'. Magneto thought it'd only be polite to return the favor.

Jean smiled sweetly as she convinced the security in the area to not pay attention to them as they got to work. Or, to be more exact, Mystique got to work. Much as she hated to admit it, Mystique was far better at programming than Jean ever will be. But, Jean was better at fixing up the hardware. A fact she more than happily reminded Mystique of every once in a while.

Magneto once said the world would be doomed if Jean and Mystique ever learned to work together. Jean thought she could just copy Mystique's skills if she wanted to but she just smiled and agreed amicably. 

If Magneto didn't adore the both of them so much, she would have gotten rid of Mystique a long time ago.


End file.
